Smuggler's Docks
by Rookblonkorules
Summary: Ben and Rook are sent to investigate something strange in Undertown.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 and sadly never will.

A/N So this is something I wrote somewhere between 6 months and a year ago and I never continued past this point because I feel that my writing style has changed, but some friends said they liked it, so I posted it for them and will try to continue if anyone likes it. It has a rather lame title so I'm open to any suggestions. Please review and tell me what you think.

Max Tennyson breathed in the smell of boiling Peramboulus soup and gave a happy sigh. There was nothing like hanging out in the Plumber base and cooking obscure alien foods that no one had ever heard of. Max hummed as he added the final ingredients, glad that his grandson, Ben, wasn't there at the moment to complain about his disgusting meals. Teenagers these days didn't know what was good for them, Max decided. Ben was always stopping by that Mr. Smoothies place for Chili Fries. At least Rook Blonko, the new partner he had assigned to Ben, seemed to enjoy his cooking even if Ben didn't, but Rook was out with Ben investigating a series of strange burglaries that Max was sure had nothing to do with any villains that required Ben to use the Omnitrix. Max sighed and left the stove. He'd see if Patelliday was interested in eating with him.

"Ben, I do not think anything will come of this investigation," Rook commented, after nothing had happened during the seven hours they had sat in the Proto-TRUK, staking out the front Mr. Baumann's store.

"Rook," Ben didn't look up from fiddling with the Omnitrix, "there's got to be a reason Baumann's getting ripped off. So, who do you think it is?" he asked eagerly, turning to Rook. "Trombipular? Fistrick? Subdora? Exo-Skull?"

"What would any of those villains want with Mr. Baumann's lima beans?" Rook asked. "What would anyone?"

"They're not stealing just lima beans, Rook, just whatever they can get their hands on," Ben said. He folded his hands, put them behind his head and looked like he was going to fall asleep. "Once we actually catch the crook in action, I could use Four Arms, Big Chill, Chromostone or maybe Wildmutt. I haven't used that guy in forever."

"Ben, did you even hear what I said a moment ago?" Rook asked.

"I heard you," Ben said, "but there has to be a reason."

"Okay, like what?" Rook said.

"Like, uh, like…"Ben sighed and leaned back. "I don't have time for this right now." Rook frowned at him and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Suddenly, Ben sat bolt upright. "Look! See there?" he cried, pointing. "Our thief just struck again!" Rook followed the direction of Ben's finger and saw the two shadowy figures hurrying away from Mr. Baumann's store, with their arms full of stuff. Ben looked at Rook who was reaching for his Proto-Tool. "You ready partner?" he asked. Rook lowered his eyes and sighed, pulling his hand away from his weapon.

"I am probably going to regret this," Rook said as they both climbed out of the Proto-TRUK.

"It's hero time!" Ben yelled. He slapped his hand down on the watch and felt the changes take place as his feet were replaced with wheels and his body became more streamlined and like a Velociraptor in shape. "Finally!" he said. "The Omnitrix actually gave me what I wanted." He turned to Rook. "Catch up when you can!"

"I am definitely going to regret this," Rook said sorrowfully. He grabbed the Proto-Tool and followed Ben.

XLR8 paused for a moment to consider his surroundings. The alleyway was dark and quiet. "I can't have lost them," he repeated to himself. "They couldn't have been fast enough to evade XLR8."

There was a slight movement behind him and he whirled around. "Gotcha!" he cried, before something toppled over nearly on top of him. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

He caught sight of someone jumping up and running away and tried to give chase. He felt something caught around his legs and tripped, knocking into some cardboard boxes that dumped a whole heap of old blankets on top of him. "What? No!" he yelled, fighting to claw them off. There was a loud beeping noise as the Omnitrix timed out, leaving Ben still stuck under the pile. "Oh come on!" Ben's muffled voice shouted. "These stink!" He heard running footsteps that passed him and then returned to where he was.

"Ben?" Rook's voice reached him through them.

"In here!" he called.

He heard a ripping sound and saw an orange glow as Rook cut through the blankets and pulled him out, sticking the Proto-Tool back on his shoulder. "Well?" Ben demanded. "Did you see anyone?"  
"Ben, your bandits are only a couple of Kineceleran children," Rook said.

"Great! XLR8's species! How did I miss them?" Ben cried.

"What I cannot believe is how you were unable to escape yourself from that pile," Rook said.

"Shut up," muttered Ben.

"Don't you think Ben and Rook have been gone for a long time?" Max Tennyson asked, approaching several plumbers by the monitors.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll take care of themselves, they always do," Magister Patelliday said.

"Humph!" said Driba. "I refuse to speak to any of you until my seventh collectible Mr. Smoothie's straw is found."

"He lost it again," Blukic explained to Max.

"What! No I didn't!" Driba contradicted him.

"Yes you did."  
"No, I did not. Someone took it!"

"They've been going on like this for some time now," Patelliday said. Max ignored the update on Blukic and Driba's latest argument.

"Patelliday, have you heard from Ben and Rook? I'm worried about Ben getting them involved in some hair-brained scheme." He sighed. "I shouldn't worry, since Rook probably has things under control." Turning around, he muttered, "But with Ben you never can tell."

"I can't believe I was outdid by Kineceleran kids! Seriously! XLR8 should have creamed them!" Ben's loud voice broke the silence.

"Oh no," Max whispered, facepalming. "What did Ben do now?"

"Ben!" Patelliday greeted him. "By the sound of things, I'm guessing this stakeout was not a success?"

"You could say that," Ben said, frowning pointedly at Rook.

"I did not do anything," Rook said, frowning back at him.

"Exactly!" Ben cried. He folded his arms and turned away from Rook, sticking out his lower lip in a frown. "You let them get away!"

"Because I was freeing you from a pile of blankets that you were unable to get out of yourself," Rook reminded him. "If you had been more capable of helping yourself as XLR8, perhaps they would not have gotten away."

"Whatever," Ben said. "They were just kids anyway."  
"Strange saying for someone who was so mad at his partner for not catching the 'lowlifes,'" Max said, quoting Rook. "But look, someone's been handing illegal weaponry to the crooks in Undertown and I was thinking you two might be the ones to put a handle on it."

"I do not see how putting an opening device on this operation would…" Rook began.

"Rook," Ben waved a hand, "it's just an expression."

"Ah, one of those expressions. We are on it, Magister Tennyson," Rook said. The two of them left.

"I thought you were just worried about Ben getting into a 'hair-brained scheme'," Blukic said.

"Wouldn't there be even more opportunity for them to get into a 'hair-brained scheme'?" Driba asked.

"I was considering sending Molly out to investigate, but she already handled the case with the Violet Offenders. I just hope Ben thinks before he acts and that I don't end up regretting what I just did," Max said, watching the Proto-TRUK leave.

"What smuggling operation are you talking about?" Patelliday asked.

"Something Molly told me she'd heard rumors while speaking with the citizens of Undertown," Max said. "I've been so preoccupied with Ben that I forgot to mention it to anyone."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** I am so sorry it took me forever to update this and for how short it is, but I've got a lot of school and kind of let my fanfiction slip. I'll try to be a little more efficient with my time, but I can't make any promises. Special thanks to Purplehood, Cassandromeda and PhantomWolfBlue.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Pakmar screamed, jumping out of his little stand and running to Ben. "No! No! You stay away from Pakmar's sponge shop!"

"Relax." Ben held up his hands, a self-confident smile on his face. "I'm not going to _break_ anything. I just need informa..."

"Pakmar don't care!" the little alien shrieked. "Get _out!_ Out! Out!"

Ben felt his partner's hand on his shoulder. "Ben, perhaps it is best to let Pakmar be," Rook suggested. "He does not seem to enjoy your company."

"I wasn't going to use the Omnitrix in here." Ben's voice trailed off as he shifted his gaze to take in the irate shop owner. Pakmar refrained from anymore outbursts and instead took tiny, yet determined strides to the door and pointed out with a small, stubby finger.

Ben's eyes followed the little alien's path.

"That was what you said last time. Then you completely wrecked his restaurant when you transformed into Heatblast."

"It was an _accident!_ " Ben protested. He looked one more time at Pakmar, who was frowning pointedly at him. He lifted his hands placatingly. "Okay, okay, I'm going."

….

"That went well," Ben muttered, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand as he sat in the Proto-Truk's passenger seat.

"I… do not think it went well," Rook commented, glancing at Ben. Ben heaved a long sigh, staring out the window.

"It was called _sarcasm_ , Rook," he grumbled, in no mood for the alien's misunderstanding of things.

"Ah, the famous earth sarcasm… again."  
"It's not famous sarcasm. It's just… sarcasm." Ben drummed his fingers against the door as he stared out the window at all the scenery passing by in a blur.

Ben began to twist the Omnitrix symbol, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I don't even know why we went there. I mean, what did we think he was going to tell us anyway?" He looked up at Rook. "Don't bother answering that. It was a rhetorical question."

"Perhaps Pakmar was not the best choice for a witness interview," Rook said, looking a Ben.

"It was worth a shot!" The teen boy felt slightly defensive at his partner's statement.

"Ben, so far we have been sent down here to investigate and have only managed to get kicked out of one shop. That will not look so good when we inform Magister Tennyson."

"Well," Ben crossed his hands behind his head and put his feet up on the dashboard, "who says we have to go and report back now?" He smirked. "There are still other places to check." He looked at the Omnitrix. " I bet we'd waste a lot less time if I went airborne."

"And if the Omnitrix timed out? You would have to wait for it to recharge again."

"Okay, so maybe that.." Ben felt himself jerk forward with an "Oof!" as Rook slammed on the breaks.


End file.
